Florida Senate - 2024 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No. SB 24 Ì666432$Î666432 LEGISLATIVE ACTION Senate . House Comm: RCS . 02/06/2024 . . . . ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability (Rouson) recommended the following: 1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 2 3 Delete everything after the enacting clause 4 and insert: 5 Section 1. Section 16.63, Florida Statutes, is created to 6 read: 7 16.63 Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim 8 Compensation Program.— 9 (1) The Dozier School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim 10 Compensation Program is established within the Department of 11 Legal Affairs. The purpose of the program is to compensate 12 living persons who were confined to the Dozier School for Boys 13 or the Okeechobee School at any time between 1940 and 1975 and 14 who were subjected to mental, physical, or sexual abuse 15 perpetrated by school personnel while they were so confined. 16 (2) The Department of Legal Affairs shall accept, review, 17 and approve or deny applications for the payment of compensation 18 claims under this section. Notice of the availability of such 19 compensation must be given and any relevant forms made available 20 for download on a page of the department’s official website 21 accessible through a direct link on the website’s homepage, 22 which link and page must be titled “The Dozier School for Boys 23 and Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program.” 24 (3) An application for compensation under this section must 25 be made by a living person who was confined to the Dozier School 26 for Boys or the Okeechobee School between 1940 and 1975; the 27 personal representative or estate of a decedent may not file an 28 application for or receive compensation under this section. Such 29 application must be made on a form approved by the department 30 and include: 31 (a) The applicant’s name, date of birth, mailing address, 32 telephone number, and, if available, electronic mail address. 33 (b) The name of the school in which the applicant was 34 confined and the approximate dates of the applicant’s 35 confinement. 36 (c) Reasonable proof submitted as attachments establishing 37 that the applicant was both: 38 1. Confined to the Dozier School for Boys or the Okeechobee 39 School between 1940 and 1975, which proof may include school 40 records submitted with a notarized certificate of authenticity 41 signed by the records custodian or certified court records. 42 2. A victim of mental, physical, or sexual abuse 43 perpetrated by school personnel during the applicant’s 44 confinement, which proof may include a notarized statement 45 signed by the applicant attesting to the abuse the applicant 46 suffered. 47 (d) A signed statement from the applicant acknowledging 48 that, by accepting compensation under this section, the 49 applicant waives any right to further compensation related to 50 the applicant’s confinement at the Dozier School for Boys or the 51 Okeechobee School or any abuse suffered during such confinement. 52 53 An application for compensation under this section must be 54 signed by the applicant under oath. A false statement in such 55 application, including in any attachment or exhibit submitted 56 therewith, is subject to the penalty of perjury under s. 57 837.012. 58 (4) Applications for compensation under this section must 59 be submitted no later than December 31, 2024. 60 (5) Upon completed review of an application submitted under 61 this section, the department shall either: 62 (a) Subject to appropriation, approve a one-time payment to 63 an applicant whose application meets the criteria specified in 64 this section. Each approved applicant shall receive an equal 65 share of the funds appropriated for this purpose. 66 (b) Deny the payment of compensation under this section to 67 an applicant whose application does not meet the criteria 68 specified in this section. 69 70 Written notice of such approval or denial must be sent by 71 certified mail, return receipt requested, to the mailing address 72 provided by the applicant on the application form. An applicant 73 whose application is rejected for providing insufficient 74 information may submit a new application as provided in 75 subsection (4). 76 (6) A person compensated under this section is ineligible 77 for any further compensation related to the person’s confinement 78 at the Dozier School for Boys or the Okeechobee School or any 79 abuse suffered during such confinement. 80 (7) The department shall adopt by rule procedures and forms 81 necessary to administer this section. 82 Section 2. Pursuant to rules adopted by the State Board of 83 Education, the Commissioner of Education may award a standard 84 high school diploma to a person compensated pursuant to s. 85 16.63, Florida Statutes, who has not completed high school 86 graduation requirements. 87 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 88 89 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================ 90 And the title is amended as follows: 91 Delete everything before the enacting clause 92 and insert: 93 A bill to be entitled 94 An act relating to the Dozier School for Boys and 95 Okeechobee School Victim Compensation Program; 96 creating s. 16.63, F.S.; establishing the Dozier 97 School for Boys and Okeechobee School Victim 98 Compensation Program within the Department of Legal 99 Affairs; specifying the purpose of the program; 100 requiring the department to accept and process 101 applications for the payment of compensation claims 102 under the program; requiring the department to provide 103 specified notice of the program; specifying 104 application procedures and requirements; requiring the 105 department to issue application approvals or denials 106 under specified conditions; requiring the department, 107 subject to the appropriation of funds for that 108 purpose, to pay a specified compensation amount to 109 approved applicants; requiring notice of application 110 approval or denial; authorizing an applicant whose 111 application is rejected to submit a new application; 112 providing that a person compensated under the program 113 is ineligible for further compensation related to his 114 confinement; requiring the department to adopt by rule 115 specified procedures and forms; authorizing the 116 Commissioner of Education to award a standard high 117 school diploma to specified persons under certain 118 circumstances; providing an effective date.